Stub-axle mount



W. D. LEGGE ET AL Aug. 17 1926.

STUB AXLE MOUNT 7 Filed May 31, 1923 I A VENTORS,

A TTORNEYS Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

warren s-T'Arss Parent orr ca.

WILLIAM s. Laces Ann Canaan c. McGONVILL-E, or cmzmnvam Wiscons n,

hesitation TO THE FOUR WIscoNsIir.

Application filed May 31,

This invention relates to WHEEL DRIVE euro 0mm,- o'r CLINTONVILLE,

STU'BAXLE nomvr.

improvements in steering axle structures or. the general type disclosedin Letters Patent of the United States granted to Four Wheel Drive AutoCompany No. 1,205,965 dated November 18, 1916. I

The object of this invention is to provide means for reducing to aminimum the frictional resistance to steering movements ofthe stub axle;to

provide improved end friction bearings associated with replaceable selfcentering parts adapte d to protect the more expensiveportions' of thestub axle structure from deterlorations or wear;

and, in general' to provide a self centering steering axle structurewhich can be maintained at mlnlmum expense 1 in etlicient workingcondltlon through long periods of time andto. allow the stub axle t atedfor steering purposes with power. v

r In th drawings-:-

0 be actuminimum Figure 1- is a vertical sectional view of the jointedportion of a steermgaxle structure.

Figure 2 2--2 of Figure 1:

Figure 3 is aflview similar to is a sectional view drawn to line Figure1 showing a structural modification.

Figure 4.1-isa sectional view dra 4-1-4;- ot Flgure 3.

r igure 0 Wu to line isanother view similar to Figure -1; showing afurther modification.

Like parts arev identifiedby the same reference characters throughoutthe several views." 7 p ,The supportlng axle member 1 ed at itsmner, end

is providwith a' spherically rounded portion 2 having exteriorvertically pro jecting' upper'and lower pivot studs 3 and 4respectively. j The housing members or stub axle sections 5 and 6 haveprojecting stud receiving sleeves 7 an into which the studs 3respectively,

project when the parts are These parts are shown in said former thisdisclosure may and for the purpose of vertically d .8 and a assembledpatent bc assume'd to beef any ordinary construcand 4 are sleeves 10have. their d con- The bear- .ton shaped movements of the stub axle.

thrust bearing members or ed surface 23 at the base Or 1923; Serial'No.642,650.

ing sleeves 10 extend for a shortdistance beyond the ends of the pivotstuds 3- (or {1) and serve as retainers for a thrust hearing button; 12,the outer portion of which is in th form of a truncated cone of lowpitch. Thisbearing button-12 is surmounted by a similarly formed, butinverted, butcally tapered 13 provide clearance between their marginsand the liat contacting areas 15 are, therefore, of comparatively smalldimensions.

The bearing button 13 is retained by a socketed cap nut 18 having screwthreaded engagement in the housing sleeves 7 and 8 and secured by a locknut 19. The sockets of the cap nuts 18 are of sufficient depth tohearing member 13. -The coni-v faces 14 of the buttons 12 and receiveantitriction bearings. I These may be conveniently formed as shown inFigure 1. An outer thrust bearing member 22 is formed to lit thespherically rounded base 23 of the cap nut socket and th inner face ofthis member22 is provided with a stud 25 in line with the pivotal axis.The spaces within the sockets concentric to the studs 25 are filled withloose balls 26,.these balls being interposed between theopposing flatfaces of the outer bearing membersQZ and the button shaped members 15.The halls will, of course, oscillate in a circular path about: the pivotstuds 25 during steering portions of the buttons 12 and 13 separatedfrom each other, the annular marginal portion o'f'the thrust member 1-3will yield slightly under excessive pressure such asmight be developedeither by shock, or by an eccentric ball, or a ball of greater diameterthan the others. Each of the thrust bearing members or' buttons is ofslightly; less transverse diameter socket, whereby itiis adapted toshift and adjust itself to the. conditions of use. is also facilitatedby the sp'hericallyroundt the socket in the cap nut 18 and thecorrespondingly spherically rounded surface of the bearing member 22-: aIt will beobserv'edthat an oil duct 28' extends" downwardly through thecap" nut 18 andthrough the various thrust. bearing members 22,- 18-and'12 and also through the-,pivot st'ud'3 (or4),-where'by adequate fBy'having. the marginal than its I This lubrication may be provided fromany suitable source of supply such, for example, as the oil cup 29. Theoil duct is utilized to not only feed oil to the parts in the sphericalaxle portion 2 and through the pivot stud 4: to the lower thrust bearingmembers, but the oil is also permitted to feed radially between thethrust bearing members. This is particularly facilitated by having thepivot stud 25 spaced from the button shaped bearing member 13. Referringto Figure 3, it will be observed that the sleeve sockets 7 and 8 arerelatively enlarged at their inner ends as compared with the structuredisclosed in Figure 1, wherein the outer ends of the sleeve sockets areslightly enlarged in those portions which receive the cap nuts 18. InFigure 3 the bushings l1 are inserted from within the housing members01' stub axle sections 5 and 6 and fit the enlarged inner end portionsof the sleeve sockets. The bearing sleeves 10 are litted to the pivotstud 3 (or 4-) and these studs are slightly reduced in transversediameter as compared with those disclosed in Figure 1, whereby thebushings or sleeves 10" and 11 are spaced apart su'lliciently to receivevertically disposed rollers 32, the ends of which are seated againstcage rings and 34. These roller bearings may of course be employed, ifdesired, in the structures disclosed in higurel by providing thenecessary clearance between the sleeves 7 (0r 8) and the pivot studs 8(or 4). I

In the construction shown in Figure 3, the balls 26 are interposedbetween tble thrust bearing members 12 and 132 these members in eachcase being inverted from the position of the members 12 and 13 in 40 Figure 1, whereby the conically tapered faces are opposed respectively tothe ends of the pivot studs 3 (or et and the bases of the sockets in thecap nuts 18. A collar or short piece of tubing 85, loosely insertedbetween the thrust bearing members 12 and 13", may be used to keep theballs away from the central axis. If this collar were not used, one ofthe balls might become seated in a position to close the oil duct.

In Figure 5 the construction is identical with that disclosed in Figure3 except as to the thrust bearing members and the cap nut 18, the latterbeing closely similar to the cap nut disclosed in Figure 1 except thatit has a socket of less depth, only two thrust bearing button membersbeing provided. The inner button member 12 is provided with an outwardlyprojecting stud 36 to space the balls from the center and the outerthrust bearing button l3 -is fitted to a spherically rounded base of thesocket in the cap nut 18 The balls 26 are interposed between-thesebutton shaped bearing members 12* and 13 to produce an antiannular wallof the socket in friction bearing closely similar to that disclosed inFigure l, but without any provision for a yielding of the peripheralmargin of either of the bearing buttons. The separation of theperipheral margin of one of the bearing members from the other or fromthe wall of the member against which it seats is not essential, but itis very desirable, both for the purpose of incorporating in the bearinga slight yielding characteristic and also for the purpose of re= ducingthe thrust area and allowing the buttons to automatically center andadjust themselves to the line of thrust pressure.

It will be seen that in all of the several modifications illustrated andabove described, the annular wall of the socketed cap nuts which closethe outer ends of the sleeves or housings in which the pivot studs ofthe axle member are received, acts as a means to confine the balls 26against outward radial movement relative to the axis of said pivotstuds.

Said socketed nuts also receive the outer button-shaped thrust bearingmember and are very important in arrangement of parts.

lVe claim 1. In a steering axle structure, the combination of an axlesupporting member having a pair of vertically disposed aligned pivotstuds, sleeve housings for said studs, a socketed cap nut fitted to theouter end of each of the sleeves, a plurality of removable button-shapedthrust-bearing members interposed between the end of each pivot stud andthe base of'the socket in the cap nut associated with said stud,and aseries of anti-friction balls interposed between two of said thrustbearing members providing a compact and confined against outward radialmovement relative to the axis of the stud by the the cap nut.

2. In a steering axle structure, the combination of an axle supportingmember having two vertically disposed oppositely projecting pivot studs,tubular housing members receiving said studs, cap nuts closing the outerends or" the housings, ball bearings between the ends of the studs andsaid f cap nuts, yielding thrust receiving raceway members for theballs, anti-friction roller bearings disposed with their axes concentricto the axes of the pivot/studs and'interposed between the annularsurface of the body of each stud and the concentric wall of thereceiving member therefor, and race members for the balls of the ballbearings receivable within the housings and adapted to confine the ballsto annular paths concentric to the axes of the pivot studs.

3. In a steering axle, structure, the combination of an axle supportingmember hav ing two vertically disposed oppositely projecting pivotstuds, tubular housing members receiving said studs, socketed cap nutsclosing the outer ends of the housings, a

5 pivot studs and anti-friction balls interposed the cap nuts, betweentwo 0 the bases of the sockets in 1. said thrust bearing members andconfined laterally by the annular wall 01": the socket in the cap nut,and antifriction bearing members interposed between the bodies of thestuds and the concentric walls of the stud receiving housings.

WILLIAM D. LEGGE. CURRAN C. MCCONVILLE.

